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Nutritional journey driving couple’s biochar mission

Toula and Andrew Finlayson’s journey from Sydney to Pukerau is as uplifting as it is unlikely.

The couple own and operate Southland Carbon at Pukerau, near Gore, an innovative business producing biochar and wood vinegar for a wide range of land and animal management applications. These include improving soils, enhancing nutrient absorption and promoting gut health in livestock.

They previously worked in property and funds management, splitting their time between Australia and New Zealand, but always had a keen interest in agriculture. Food systems were central to this interest, including questions around soil health and nutrient densities.

Toula developed an inkling about a lack of nutrient density in food when she was buying groceries for the family, noting that a lot of commercially produced foods lacked the goodness people might assume they have.

Despite not having a background in science, Toula found herself on a path to find out more about nutrition density in food and eventually came across biochar.

Biochar is produced by heating wood chips in a large kiln at temperatures between 500-600°C.

It can be added to fertilisers and used as a stock food supplement to maintain nutrient levels, reintroduce carbon to soils, and improve the productivity of farms, orchards, vineyards and vegetable growers.

“It was previously only made in little pots, and I thought we need loads of this stuff if we’re going to make a difference to nutrient density across different populations,” Toula says.

The couple then spent several years working out a way to “supersize” and upscale production of biochar.

"What we’re doing here is just simulating that natural process." - Andrew Finlayson

They bought the former Norton Brick and Tile factory in Pukerau five and a half years ago, then spent three years getting it ready through Covid, and have been operating for the past two and a half years.

They now produce commercial quantities of biochar and wood vinegar to help landowners to manage environmental risks and enhance sustainability.

As well as adding a highly efficient modern kiln system, they have refreshed the old kilns transforming them into feature spaces. Other elements of the site’s heritage also remain, including the old Norton company Bedford truck, and remnants from the early days of production.

“I think we need to respect what we had in the past and the engineering brilliance, and we’re just trying to continue that,” Andrew says.

Farmers are really positive about the products, with some relaying stories of having watched stock picking through burn-off piles to eat char – reinforcing the natural process Southland Carbon is replicating.

“What we’re doing here is just simulating that natural process.”

The plant, which employs four staff, is operating five days a week at the moment with several tonnes of biochar produced each day. It takes about 40 minutes for the wood chips to be cooked.

The heat produced in the process is cycled back into the kiln, with the smoke condensate syphoned off to create the wood vinegar, meaning very little, if any, smoke goes out the chimney.

“We’re doing it as environmentally friendly as possible,” Andrew says.

Wood vinegar helps germinate seeds, stimulates deep root growth and protects plants.

Toula and Andrew are loving life in Pukerau and people are loving seeing the brick works get a new lease of life.

“The community is fabulous here and they’re so supportive. There’s a genuine connection with people,” Toula says.

Once a month they host a community morning tea and people have been really interested in what’s happening.

“It’s not just a corporate thing here, it’s about community. If you don’t have that investment in where you are, then it’s just not okay,” Andrew says.

They have been getting involved in wider conversations around sustainability and attended the Regional Climate Change Working Group Climate Collaboration Hui in April, and won the Environmental Leadership & Innovation in Business Award at the Environment Southland Community Awards 2025 in October.

They are also really interested in finding out more about traditional Māori practice and where biochar may have fitted into that.

“We’ve got a lot of repair work to do for a perfectly balanced ecosystem,” Toula says.

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